Doubling Down on Umami

Colatura is considered a descendant of the ancient Roman condiment, garum, which is made from various types of fish rather than solely anchovy, as is the case with colatura. Indeed, colatura is touted as a more refined fish sauce. It can be used in similar ways that ancient Romans used garum—including as a savory underscore to meat dishes. At the famed Flour + Water in San Francisco, a rich pork dish gets a briny hit of colatura: the Garum-Braised Pork Cheeks is finished with colatura and served with fava beans, green farro, mint and hedgehog mushrooms.